Trunk construction.



D. GOLDSMITH.

TRUNK cons'rmcwmm' APPLIO AT ION FILED NOV. 26, 1913.

1,104,985; Patented July 28,1914

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

D. GOLDSMITH. TRUNK CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION FILED -NOV.25,-1913.

Patented July 28,1914

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

5 THE NORRIS PETERS (Ou PHOTO-LITHO. WASHINGTON. D. C

UNITED .sTATns PA T I DAVID GOLDSMITH, 0F NEWARK, JERSEY.

TRUNK CONSTRUCTION.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID GOLDSMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, Essex county, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trunk Construction, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The present invention relates to the construction of trunks and other hinged containers and is designed to provide a means for strengthening and protecting the trunk or other container at thehinge line which, in use, proves to be the point of greatest strain.

To this end my invention consists in the device described in detail in the following specification when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part thereof and illustrating a preferable embodiment of the invention.

In these drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the rear side of a trunk, closed, and with the device of the present invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the trunk shown in Fig. 1, the section being taken through one of the flexible strips having a sliding end connection, the upper section of the trunk being raised.

In trunks and other containers subject to frequent handling, the weak point and the one subject to most strain is the line of partition between the sections, and particularly the hinge line at the rear of the trunk. In the past detachable straps have been employed to encircle the trunk and totake, to some extent at least, the strain from its weak point. These accomplished the results desired to some extent, but being detachable, were frequently lost and in addition, became broken or considerably weakened after short usage.

The present invention provides a permanently attached reinforcing band or strap of metal which affords a means for reinforcing and strengthening the trunk along the line of its hinge.

In the drawings, 1 designates the lower section of a trunk and 2 the upper section, hinged together at the rear by a plurality of hinges 3, and having the usual slats 4c thereon.

5-6 denote metal bands extending transversely of the trunk, these bands being permanently secured to the trunk in any suit- Specification of Letters Eatent. Patented July 28 Application filed November 25, 1913. Serial No. 802,912.

der the slats 4. Theymay be of any suitable able manner and preferably extending un material, such as hoop iron, and are used to" some extent to take the place of leather straps inasmuch astheir ends at the forward face of the trunk may be provided with suitable interlocking attachments such as the buckle and strap 11 and 12 (Fig. 2). These,

however, form no part of the present inven tion and are merely referred to as lllustrating a standard type of trunk construction.

At the rear of the trunk and on either side of the hinge linethereof, I provide'one or more strips 7 of flexible resilient metahsuch' as steel, which strips span the hinge line of the trunk and have their-upper ends se curely attached to the trunk, being held thereto by rivets of the edge brackets 8; The intermediate portions of the strips 7 are free and span the hinge line of the trunk, their lower ends being securely attached to the trunk as at 9; or, in some instances it may be desirable to permit a slight yielding of the strip when the trunk is opened, and therefore, one end of the strip 7 may in such cases be provided with a slot such as indicated at 10- (Fig. 1). When the trunk is closed, the resilient band 7 will rest against the rear of the trunk and act as a strap to relieve the hinge line of part of theload strain. When, however. the trunk is open, the upper section 2 being swung on the hinges 3 and relative to the lower section, the resilient band 7 will spring inwardly and rearwardlv and be bowed, provlding a supporting spring or cushion for the upper section of the trunk and relieving the hinges of the trunk of part of the load supporting strain to which they are subjected in this position. Vl'here the construction of the trunk does not permit the use of a long yielding strip and a sliding connection is provided at one end of the strip as shown at 10 in Fig. 1, the same action will take place (see Fig. 2), theslight sliding movement of the strip relieving the same from excessive strain while providing the supporting and strengthening features heretofore referred to.

I have herein described a specific structural embodiment of the invention, but desire it distinctly understood that the same is susceptible of variation both in structure and relative arrangement of parts within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims. 4

What I claim, therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a sectional hinged container, a flBXible resilient member carried by adjacent hinged container sections at opposite sides of and spanning the hinge line of said sections, said member extending across said sections when the latter are closed to form a strengthening means therefor and bending when one section is swung on its hinge and relative to the'other to provide a supporting spring cushion. a

2. In a sectional hinged container, a flexible resilient metal strap spanning the hinge line of adjacent hinged container sections and having its opposite ends carried bv. said adjacent sections and with its intermediate portion free and spanning said hinge line, said strap providing a strengthening means for said sections when closed and a supporting spring cushion when one of said sections is swung on its hinge and relative to the other and adjacent section.

3, In a sectional hinged container, a flexible resilient metal strap spanning the hinge line of adjacent hinged container sections and having its ends connected with said adjacent sections and with its intermediate portion free and spanning said hinge line, one of said end connections being slidable, and said strap providing a strengthening means for said sections when closed and a supporting spring cushion when one of Said sections is swung on its hinge and relative to the other and adjacent section.

4. In a sectional hinged container, a strap of flexible spring steel carried adjacent its ends by adjacent hinged container sections at opposite sides of and spanning the hinge line of said sections, said strap extending across said sections when the latter are closed to form a strengthening means therefor. and bending when one section is swung on its hinge line and relative to the other to provide a supporting spring cushion for the first of said sections.

DAVID GOLDSMITH.

Witnesses:

HENDERSON F. HILL, E. E. MORSE.

Copie: of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

